L I B. II. Of the Advancement of Learning, 63 



For it comes to pa(s that he who every where purfueth fuch variety of 

 matter ; the precifeftrittnefs of Information by degrees flackaed i and 

 his own diligence difperfed info many things, weakned in all, takes 

 up popular Reports and Rumours} and kom Relations not 9o authen- 

 tick, or (bme other fuch like flight ftuff, compiles a Hijiory. Moreover 

 htffs forced (left the work fhould grow too voluminous) purpofely to 

 paft over many occurrences worth the relatkig 5 and many times to 

 fall upon the way of Epitomes and abridgments. There is yet another 

 danger of no fmall importance, which fuch a work is liable unto, which 

 is ditiGAy oppofed to the profitable ufe oiVniverJal Hijiory } for as Ge- 

 neral Hi{tory prefervei fome ReUthnt, wbicb,it may be,otberwUe would 

 be loft j ib contrary wife many times it cxtingutfhes other fruitful iV4r« 

 > Tstioni which otherwifc would have lived through BrtviArics^ which 

 are ever accepted in the world. 



G H A P. IX. 

 Another Partition •fihe Hifiory tftimts into Annals asidJoHrnal/t 



TH E Partition efthe Hifiory of Time islikewife well made into Am* 

 rials J and JoHrttaU : Which Divi(ion,though it derive the names 

 from the Period of Times, yet pertains alfb to the choice of Bulinefi. For 

 Tacitiff GAth welly when falling upon the mention of the magnificence 

 of certain ftrudtures, presently he adds 5 Ex dignitate Populi Ro» reper^ ^'^^'^''^ 

 turn ejfe, res illufires, Annaiibms j Talia^ Diurnif urbh Aiik mandari : 

 Applying to -^»»«//3 Matters of State ; to D/<ri«? Afts and Accidents 

 of a meaner nature. And in my judgment a Difcipline of Heraldry 

 would be to purpofe in the difpofing of the merits c^Books j as of the 

 merits of Perfons. For as nothing doth more derogate fi-ora Civil Af- 

 fairs, than the confufion of Orders and Degrees} fo it doth not a little 

 embafe the authority of a grave Hijiory^ to intermingle matters of tri-> 

 vial conlequence, with matters of State j luch as are Triumphs, and 

 Ceremonies, Shews, aiid Pageants, and the like. And fiirely it could 

 be wifht that this diftinftion would come into Cuftom, In our Times 

 Journals are in ufe only in Navigations, and Expeditions of war. A- 

 mongf^ the Ancients it was« point of Honour to Princes to have the 

 Afts qf their Court referr'd to Journals. Which we fee was preferv'd lib. lak, 

 in the reign o^Ahafueruf King of Ferfu^ who, when he could not take ^*P*' 

 reftjCall'd for the Chronicles i wherein he reviewed the Treafon of the 

 Evnuches paft in his own time. But in the Diaries of Alexander the gin*^]* 

 Great, fuch fmall Particularities were contained , that if he chanc'd but ' 



to fleep at the Table, it was Regiftred. For neither have Aanalr on- 

 ly compriz'd grave matters 5 and Journals only light i but aJl were pro- 

 mifcuoufly, and curforilytakcn in Diaries i whether of greater, or of 

 leffcr Importance. 



CHAP. 



